The Xplore Journal

Field Notes from the Road.

Tea trails, monastery mornings, wildlife dispatches and cruise-deck diaries — written by the specialists who design our journeys.

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Chasing the First Flush: A March Morning in Darjeeling

Tea Trails

March 2026· 9 min read

Chasing the First Flush: A March Morning in Darjeeling

Why the first plucking of the year — barely three weeks long — produces the most sought-after tea on earth, and how to taste it right at the estate.

By Aritra Sen · Tea Specialist & Founder

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Latest dispatches

More field notes.

Walking the Living Root Bridges of Meghalaya

Field Notes

February 2026· 10 min read

Walking the Living Root Bridges of Meghalaya

A slow, monsoon-drenched journey to the double-decker root bridge of Nongriat — and what centuries of Khasi patience can teach a modern traveller.

By Rukmini DasRead

The Quiet Hours: Mornings at Rumtek Monastery

Culture

January 2026· 8 min read

The Quiet Hours: Mornings at Rumtek Monastery

Before the day begins, the monks of Rumtek chant into the mist. A field diary of a week spent listening rather than looking.

By Pema LhamuRead

After Dark in Hanoi: A Street Food Diary

South East Asia

December 2025· 11 min read

After Dark in Hanoi: A Street Food Diary

From pho at 6 AM to bun cha at midnight — a food-obsessed dispatch from the Old Quarter, with the exact stalls our specialists send guests to.

By Nguyen AnhRead

At Dawn in Kaziranga: One-Horned Rhinos & the Brahmaputra

Wildlife

November 2025· 9 min read

At Dawn in Kaziranga: One-Horned Rhinos & the Brahmaputra

Assam's flagship park is more than a safari — it is one of the great conservation stories of Asia. A guide's-eye view of the best months to visit.

By Debojit BaruaRead

The Long Climb: Paro Taktsang and the Kingdom of Happiness

Himalaya

October 2025· 8 min read

The Long Climb: Paro Taktsang and the Kingdom of Happiness

Three hours up, two hours down — and a lifetime of stillness at the top. Notes from a first-time visit to Bhutan's most photographed monastery.

By Tenzin WangchukRead

The Slow River: Cruising the Brahmaputra Through Assam

Field Notes

September 2025· 9 min read

The Slow River: Cruising the Brahmaputra Through Assam

A week aboard the Charaidew II — silt-brown water, tea gardens, river dolphins, and the largest river island in the world.

By Debojit BaruaRead

Himalaya

August 2025· 10 min read

The Road to Tawang: India's Last Great Himalayan Drive

Three days on the highest motorable pass in Arunachal Pradesh — hairpin bends, army convoys, and the largest monastery in India.

By Tenzin WangchukRead

Saigon to the Mekong: A South Vietnam Diary

South East Asia

July 2025· 10 min read

Saigon to the Mekong: A South Vietnam Diary

Sixteen days from the chaos of Ho Chi Minh City to a homestay on a floating market — a specialist's diary of the classic South Vietnam loop.

By Nguyen AnhRead

The North East, Season by Season: When to Visit Each State

Field Notes

June 2025· 11 min read

The North East, Season by Season: When to Visit Each State

A month-by-month field guide to visiting the eight sisters — from the Ziro festival in September to the Hornbill festival in December.

By Rukmini DasRead

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